4 young heroes who can carry the Kansas City Chiefs all the way (again)

Trent McDuffie, CB

Speaking of important young defenders who might become even more important in free agency, we need to discuss Trent McDuffie.

McDuffie was the earliest of two first-round selections made by Veach in the 2022 NFL Draft. McDuffie was an intelligent, instinctive, and versatile corner who was pro-ready after being well-coached at the University of Washington. Veach traded up from 29 to 21 to get him, and McDuffie has been a fixture since his first week.

This season, McDuffie earned his first Pro Bowl nod as the starting slot on the Associated Press's first team, which shows just how quickly he's leaped up in reputation to stake out such an impressive honor. Not only is he incredibly fluid at mirroring the pass catcher, but he's also proven to be far more physical and tough than most would have expected. That's best illustrated by his 5 forced fumbles and 3 sacks on the season to go with his exemplary pass defense.

Check out the way he timed his arrival perfectly on this key Tyreek Hill target from Saturday in order to keep him from a pivotal first down.

Yeah, McDuffie is going to be very good for a very long time.